A senior Taiwanese reserve-force figure publicly questioned buying weapons from the US, and the military quickly distanced itself — an awkward moment for Taipei's defense ties with Washington.

• Chiang Wen-lang, who leads the national advisory group for Taiwan's reserve command, said the US is "not a very good friend" and Taiwan can build advanced weapons itself.
• He made the remarks at a military honors ceremony hosted by President Lai Ching-te on Armed Forces Day.
• The reserve command issued a statement the same afternoon calling the comments personal opinion, not the military's position.
• It stressed that weapons come from both home-grown production and foreign purchases, and thanked the US for arms supplied under the Taiwan Relations Act.

Outlook: Expect Taipei to keep pushing both local weapons production and US arms deals, while playing down any doubts about the alliance.